


High Society

by czaristPrussia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26939485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/czaristPrussia/pseuds/czaristPrussia
Summary: A chronicle of the final days of the Republic, and how heroes realized their true potential through its fall.
Kudos: 2





	1. I - The First Strike

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

Peace rules throughout the galaxy. The OLD REPUBLIC rules an unprecendented swath of the world through military and economic might. But all is not right in the universe. As unrest begins to grow at home, the GALATIC SENATE focuses on increasing their own power, ignoring threats in the shadows.

A new group seeks to hurt the republic in ways they have not prepared for. Although they are ill equipped, they are underestimated and have the element of surprise. And they are not the only group looking to move in the face of chaos.

New to the ranks of the JEDI ORDER is Anakin Skywalker, from the outer edges of the Republic. As someone privileged to enforce and defend the Republic from threats, he is poised to watch events unfold from close by. As darkness looms on the horizon, he will be on the front lines for a new kind of conflict...

Coruscant was known for many things. The capital of the Republic, it was a city so large it covered most of the planet it was built on. Endless skyscrapers created a landscape that seemed endlessly pockmarked, and sharply defined. Even more noticeable was the glow. At night, the skies turned orange, with the millions of lights shining out into the sky. Flying into the city from space was said to be one of the most pretty sights in the Republic. If your ship was to stop on a higher up landing platform, your impression of the city would stay awestruck and pristine. Going further down, to the ground itself, would have your vision clouded with smog and scents that were best not described.  
Between those two layers, was the Jedi Temple. 

It was one of the oldest buildings at the heart of the city. Hewn from stone and marble, it was clearly a relic of the past - every place surrounding it was covered in windows and had been remodeled at least semi recently. In the pale morning light, one could see every last pockmark and chipped block on the facade. Many residents now claimed it was an eyesore.  
It was here that Anakin Skywalker had come to make a new life for himself. The shift had been sudden - a test of abilities here, an application fortuitiously looked over there, and now he had been selected to go all the way to the capitol to train as a new guardian of the Republic. It looked to be far more promising than just sitting idle on his home planet, studying away and trying to be accepted in a very competitive design job.

Walking through the open doors, Anakin expected to see crowds - there had been crowds every which way when he got off his ship and was hustled along a train to the building. Instead, it was dead quiet. More of the early morning light crept in through ancient glass windows, highlighting dust on the corners of the floor. Three different corridors branched away from the entrance, and there was not a soul to be seen.

Anakin's eyes moved to a pair of statues that stood near the doors. They were of two old men, one holding an ancient metal sword, another the modern lightsaber, forming an arch where the blades crossed. The one with the saber, he recognized from the war of the three systems, but the older one was a mystery to him.

"New to Coruscant, I take it?"

Startled, Anakin spun around to see who had suddenly broke the silence. It was a finely dressed man, sporting a slightly rustic goatee and eyes that seemed full of energy.

"I suppose I would be, yes."

"Tourist, then? Trust me, this isn't a place where you want to spend your whole day. If you'd like, I could give you a list of places to hit on Sarcen Plaza-"

Anakin frowned. "I am not a tourist, actually. I came here because I was recently accepted into the Order."

"A new recruit, huh?" The man laughed. "Now that's a sight for sore eyes. Second hallway on the left. You'll find someone to help you there."

"Thank you."

Anakin stood still, eyeing the man from the sides of his eyes until he left, before following his directions. They led him to a small alcove, where a tusked being was busy stacking papers.  
The whole process took the rest of the day to set up - they asked every single location he had previously lived for the last ten years, mixed up the paperwork he had sent in, deliberated for quite a while on where he would be staying, and had him repeat the Force sensitvity tests another time, but in the end, it was settled. Anakin had a place to stay, a salary, and something to devote himself to. 

The Coruscant evening had begun in earnest as he left to go to his new apartment. Crowds surged down into the streets, and up into their homes, as families came together to eat and disconnected people went out to suck in the nightlife. The sky only managed to hit a murky orange, as the lights of buildings and industry left no space where one could be truly in the dark - except for the alleys at the bottom of the city, in the shadow of the towers above.

Pushing through the crowds after exiting another train, Anakin looked at the tower he would be staying in. Another tall brick of greyish metal and glass windows, it was set apart mainly by the fancy lettering on the ground floor entrance, ESTUARY SUITES 204. That there had not been any kind of estuary nearby for centuries was immaterial.  
Anakin walked in the building, where a robot was dutifully chirping at a desk. Before he could talk to it, a sharp ringing started, and lights began flashing. Another voice droned on a loudspeaker, saying a fire had been detected on one of the upper floors - just his luck!

Many people soon began streaming out of the building. They formed a large pool around the entrance, milling about and talking about what might have caused it. It wasn't long before the sirens of a fire engine could be heard approaching. The firefighters were quick to suit up, before going in. And before they got there, Anakin saw the same man from the Jedi Temple hurrying past the crowd, with one hand raised to the side, where people might be looking at him.

"Hey, wait a minute," Anakin said. "You're not a firefighter. What are you doing?"

The man paused, and glanced at Anakin, before winking at him and continuing his jog into the building. No one else appeared to notice him, and the firefighters went in shortly afterwards.  
It was over an hour before the alarms went off, and the firefighters came back down, signaling that it was OK to go back in the building. When they had all gone, Anakin saw the man coming down, still unnoticed by the rest of the crowd.

"I see you must have what it takes! Most normal people wouldn't notice me." The man offered out his hand to shake. "I suppose I should introduce myself, then. The name's Obi-Wan. Pleased to meet you."

Anakin hesitated before taking his hand. "Anakin Skywalker. What exactly were you doing up there? You're supposed to get out of the building so the firefighters can do their job."

"If you were just a civilian, yes," Obi-Wan said. "As a Jedi Knight, I saw a situation that could use my assistance, and provided it. I like to keep my eye out for win-win situations."

"That's not what Jedi Knights are supposed to do."

Obi-Wan's grin broadened immensely. "Not a day in on the job, and you're already hitting the question."

"What question?"

"The philosophical question every Jedi runs into at some point in their lives. What does it truly mean to be a Jedi Knight? What are we really here to do?"

"Well, that's obvious. The goal of a Jedi Knight is to uphold the order and traditions of the Republic."

"Ah, but what order, and what traditions? Our texts have a great many arguments about this. You'll have plenty of time to go over them in training, of course. I'll see you around!"

Anakin crossed his arms and tried to keep a scowl from his face as Obi-Wan headed into the building - the same building that Anakin was staying at. He had a feeling it would be difficult to escape him, with this new job.


	2. Webs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan teaches Anakin his first lesson about the Force.

"And your instructor will be Mr. Kenobi. He will be waiting for you on the upper floors."

They were the words Anakin was faintly dreading to hear, but at the same time, expecting to. An old poet had once said, that with every new opportunity life gave, came new challenges.

Obi-Wan was waiting for him, as slick and as smiling as before. 

"Hello there, Mr. Skywalker! Good to see you're on time. I was almost late myself, caught in the sky traffic on the way here."

Traffic in the sky - another Coruscant novelty. They had all of the atmosphere to work with, and filled it up with their hovercraft. It was so unlike his homeland.

"I wouldn't know. Had to take the train here. What will be starting off with?"

"I have just the thing for you. Come with me."

Obi-Wan walked out of the room briskly, and then to the exit of the temple. And then even further, to go down to the streets.

"Hold on a minute," Anakin said. "You're supposed to be teaching me about Jedi business. Where exactly are we going?"

Obi-Wan paused and turned to face him for a moment. "Now, Mr Skywalker, you might think my methods are strange, but I promise you that what I'm going to teach you is a very practical and useful skill for a Jedi to have."

He was guiding them into a restaurant now, filled with loud music and chattering between the excited morning patrons dreading the day of work they were about to be involved with. In a moment, they were seated at a table and provided with some beverages, in the midst of the crowd.

"Now - may I call you Anakin? I don't care too much for formalities. You can call me Obi-Wan, as well."

"If you insist. But what exactly-" 

"Now, Anakin. What you'll notice about a place like this, is how easy it is to lose yourself and your perception of things in the chaos. And perception is critical, whether it is for something in your day to day life or your job, or even with your close friends and family. The eyes we have are not always the best, but what we can sense otherwise, with the Force, doesn't lie."

Obi-Wan paused to take a sip from his glass, then leaned further back in his chair. "Now, tell me. Is there any kind of emotion you associate with me so far? Doesn't matter what kind of emotion it is, just that it's there."

Anakin drummed some of his fingers along the table. "There is." He failed to mention that it was irritation.

Obi-Wan clapped his hands together, that same old grin returning to light his face up. "Great! That will make this next part easier. Now, I'm going to disappear into the crowd. Your task will be to find me, without using your eyes."

"And how do you suppose I should do that?"

Obi-Wan stood up and scratched his chin. "You have an emotional connection to me of some kind. Focus on that. You took those Force sensitivity tests before. Try to feel out for me as you felt out for the rocks you couldn't see in the other room. Now, don't move your eyes from where I was sitting. I'll be back in some time."

Anakin continued to drum his fingers as Obi-Wan slipped away into the restaurant. He wondered if he was telling the truth about this being an assignment, or if this was an excuse for him to grab a drink and see some friends. On the other hand, it was like the first test.

Telling if there were rocks you could not see. Or cards, or some other kind of object. Very basic magic tricks. 

He could remember the day like it was yesterday. The feeling, the sense of things being there beyond what he touched. It was not something he had fully explored for years. He had been in the middle of a snowball fight. Moved a chunk of ice to hit another kid's head - that had led to a lot of awkward questions and misgivings. 

But he had to focus now. 

When he took the tests recently, he imagined the connection between him and the rocks as lines. A little bit of thread between him and what he was looking for. He tried to feel out the connection that was there between him and Obi-Wan. Closed his eyes and reached out into the empty world where the lines could be found. Reached around for another strand, focusing on the irritation - but nothing came.

"Got your drink!"

Anakin blinked and noticed that his drink had indeed vanished. Obi-Wan had taken it in one hand, admiring the pebbly texture of the glass.

"Don't worry if you can't figure this out on your first attempt. Everyone starts out somewhere."

"I assure you, I wasn't expecting too much." Anakin slowly turned his eyes to the side, where Obi-Wan was standing. "Could I have my drink back?"

"Yes, of course."

Anakin took a moment to draw out little patterns on the glass. "Trying to look for a person isn't something I've ever tried. When I looked for objects, I had to visualize where they stood relative to me first. Then I could find a sort of connection between us, and that was what I pulled on. Like pulling on a thread to unravel a sweater."

"Word of advice? Don't think of a thread. Think of a web." Obi-Wan stretched his arms out to gesture to the people around them. "The Force is around us, in every living thing. Our connections with other people lead to other connections, to other connections. Everyone is connected. Follow one connection to the next, and you can get places you'd never expect."

"That idea is intriguing. I'll give it a shot." It was, after all, the first insightful thing Obi-Wan had told him.

"That's the spirit. I'll head out and see how you do this time." 

Anakin closed his eyes as Obi-Wan melted into the crowds again. If the connections formed a web, then the first link to follow would be the strongest one. He tried to imagine a thread between him and his family, reached out for it, and felt something, something very faint. It wasn't like the rocks, something he could pull to move, but something he could follow. He tried to imagine himself crawling forward, on that strand...

"Are you ready to order?"

Anakin cracked one eye open to see a waiter pensively eyeing him, tablet in hand.

"Give me a few more minutes, please."

"Of course."

Of course the stupid waiter had ruined his concentration. He tried to return to the web. The connection to his parents was there. But what was beyond that? Connections to friends? He tried tugging on those strings, but felt nothing.

He tried returning to Obi-Wan as being his own part of the web. Who would Obi-Wan be connected to? He tried to feel for other potential threads. Was there anyone, anyone at all they both would know?

His mind went back to the fire at the apartment. The news said that there had been some injuries from smoke inhalation, but that no one was hurt. It was a family of three. He tried reaching for their faces, seeing if there was anything there.

The string pulled back. He could feel something. He moved to Obi-Wan again, tried to shift along the web to feel his presence. This time, he could feel a slight tugging to his right. Opening his eyes, but keeping them aimed at the floor, he stood up and began shuffling in that direction. The pulling in his head got ever so stronger as he slowly weaved through the crowd, until he felt he could almost touch it. 

"Well done, Anakin."

Anakin moved his eyes up to see Obi-Wan casually sitting at a bar stool, an arm lazily sitting on the counter. "I'm surprised you picked it up so quickly. How'd you manage it?"

Anakin let a faint smile creep on his lips. "Let's just say I did a little detective work."

"I'll say. How about we celebrate by grabbing breakfast here? Their eggs and cress are to die for."

"So, I assure you this skill you've just learned will be something very fundamental to your work as a future Jedi Knight."

"Go on."

"A lot of what we're tasked with doing these days is ceremonial or protective work. Seeing legal procedures go through, or keeping Senators safe when they're at some meeting." Obi-Wan paused to shovel a forkful of eggs in his mouth. "So, it helps immensely to be able to sense who is around you in the area. Or what their intentions might be."

"Don't they have security cameras for that?"

"Easier to fool a camera than a Jedi. Although, I will admit, our services have not been called on as frequently as they used to."

"Right, right."

"And beyond just what we do, it's also about the very nature of the Force itself. It's something my Master, Yoda, taught me very early on in my training. It's not just some tool for pushing things around, like in the movies. It's how the world is."

"If you say so. I'd prefer to focus on how I can use it to help people while at work."

"In that case, you can start by learning how to tip, generously."

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"Let's just say I know a stingy person when I see one, Anakin. It's unbecoming of a Jedi Knight." Obi-Wan grinned again.

"I'll think about it."


	3. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin and Obi-Wan meet Republic Senators discussing a political issue that has been ongoing without a solution.

"There's an assignment I have with the Senate today. You might be interested in coming along."

Anakin folded his hands together. "Senate work? What's the occasion?"

Obi-Wan scratched his chin and gazed into the distance for a moment. "There's a group of senators that wanted to work on drafting a bill, outside of typical hours. We would just be offering some additional security. Nothing major, but you'd get to see what it's like out there in the real world. Or listen in on a bit of politics, if you're into that."

"I'd definitely be interested."

Soon, they were zooming away in a hovercraft, following in line with trails of other vehicles across the sky. Obi-Wan kept one hand lazily on the controls as he casually maneuvered through lanes and streams of traffic, passing through skyscrapers and industrial buildings alike.

"Do you know what Senators we would be guarding today?" Anakin asked. "I'm more familiar with the higher up ones than the local politics here."

"I think you would know them, then. It's Valorum, Escoteria, Mainlunsch, Palpatine. And some of the opposition."

Anakin raised his eyebrows and studied Obi-Wan intensely. "Really? The leaders of the Vanguard? I've been following them for a while. What do you think of their policies?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I wouldn't say I'm brave enough for politics. In this city especially, what you get tends to only be what you expect, not what you want."

The craft zoomed out of a traffic lane, descending down to a open landing pad attached to one skyscraper where several other vehicles had already landed. A line of security personnel and robots awaited them, waving them in after Obi-Wan flashed them some paperwork.

The interior of the building was a lot closer to how Coruscant looked from the eyes of cameras. Clean, pristine carpets atop polished stone lobbies, lit openly from the sky and more dimly by rows of elegant lamps. Dozens of elevator shafts lined up next to each other, that moved as fast as soaring rockets but felt gentler than a breeze.

"We'll be sitting in the back, away from the negotiations," Obi-Wan said, as they crowded into a side elevator with other staff. "Just use the Force, look for anything out of order."

And just like that, the elevator had already reached its destination. A room near the very top of the building, with a large wooden table that already had many figures seated in it. Anakin craned his neck to try and make out individuals as they were guided near the back of the room, to rows of featureless black leather seats.

"It'll be easy to focus here. Not as loud as on the streets."

It was easy enough to sink back into that web trance again, to feel around for connections. They pulsed along the strings, ebbing and flowing in a normal pattern as others continued to arrive in the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. So, as the real conversation began, it was easy to shift focus there...

"Order, order. We will discuss the bill we are looking to propose now."

"Thank you, Senator."

There was the sound of shuffling of papers. Valorum, a greyed, imposing man, rose to speak.

"Thank you all. As you all should know, we came here to discuss our latest proposal on the existing spice laws. The unfettered flow of spice in and out of the Republic is something that has been causing continuing degradation of hundreds of systems. Organized crime has been rising to historic heights. We have been seeing new waves of addicts come seeking care. Many hospitals are overwhelmed trying to handle them.

Both of the parties, when tackling this issue thus far, have failed to address the problem. The Pomerians have promised merely to try and decriminalize the issue, and provide some help for the sick. But offering such help has only increased the number of people seeking it. There are lines in the streets. Turning the police away has only let gangs and cartels seize more territory, more wealth, and use that wealth against each other. There are battles in our streets, not just on far away worlds, but in Coruscant itself. Trying to back off will not work.

The Senkeltaus also have had ample time to try and rectify this problem. They originally sought to bring an end to the spice trade through brute force. Our prisons are still full of many of the spice dealers and smugglers involved in its trade. But for every one we have caught, two more have risen to take their place. The fact of the matter is, the attempt to stop the spice trade on the ground has been a failure.

That is why the Vanguard has decided to offer a new solution. We will stop the spice trade, but not by attacking the gangs directly. Instead, we will be attacking the source. Spice is mined on the Outer Rim, on Kessel. It is distributed there to other systems before it is trafficked into Republic worlds. Because the spice is all concentrated on these Outer Rim worlds first, the solution will be simple. All we need to do is enact a blockade of these systems, halting trade and their drug trafficking efforts. Once the spice is not able to be moved into Republic systems, the funds behind gang activities will evaporate, and addiction cases will go down again."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan with a faint smile. "We've needed something like this for a long time. It's good to see some action finally being put forward."

"If action is what you're looking for, then you'll get that."

"The opposition may speak now, in regards to our proposal," Valorum finished, returning to his seat.

Another man rose from the table. "As majority leader of the Senkeltaus, I will speak briefly on this. What Valorum proposes here is just another step closer to tyranny. Trade has always made the Republic rich and prosperous. Any step we take to curtail it will make us all the lesser for it. Your appeals to the common man only show that you're interested in obtaining more power for yourselves. We have handled, and will continue to handle any effects of the spice, as we have before."

"Your voice betrays your anxiety, Lord Dooku." One of the men flanking Valorum was speaking. Younger, more subdued - he must have been Palpatine. "You talk so readily of of tyranny, as if it were our freedom at risk. But what you fear the most is profit, not our freedom, being at risk. And I do admit, there is profit at stake when closing down routes to the Outer Rim. But the health of the Republic comes first. Letting in a drug trade is like letting wasps into your house. Never a good idea."

"Don't speak so idly of mere profit, Senator. It is the gears on which the galaxy turns. As do so many of your earnest constituents."

"Profit is what we will be giving them," Valorum said, putting his hand on the table and leaning forward. "Economic revitalization of old sectors is one of our goals. But we cannot accomplish that without also getting rid of this drug problem."

"Then you will find yourself waiting quite a long time."

Valorum turned to the side of the table where no one had spoken. "Do representatives from the Pomerians have any comments to add?"

The members of the group looked at each other, before a man stood up. "We will consider this bill, but there is a list of items we would like to discuss further, and other things we want to add."

"Very well. We can start by looking at the points of the blockade..."

It was several more hours before the meeting was adjourned. Anakin and Obi-Wan stood back with the other staff members as the Senators orderly marched back to the elevators. Valorum and Palpatine were among the last to leave, gathering their belongings and pausing to talk with a journalist. After handing them a paper document, they walked towards the exit. They paused on the way and headed towards the two Jedi.

"You must be the Jedi we requested for additional protection," Valorum said. "Good to see you here. If you have the time, I had a question I'd like to ask you both, regarding the session we just held."

"Ask away," Obi-Wan said.

"As you know, we were talking of a potential mission to the Outer Rim worlds to end the spice trafficking there. If our bill is to pass, there would most likely be some Jedi sent along to oversee it, as peacekeepers. Being Jedi yourselves, how would you feel about participating in this work?"

Obi-Wan shrugged and kept a neutral expression. "Where the Republic goes, we shall go as well. The Outer Rim is dangerous, but also a place to learn from."

"Well considered." Valorum turned to Anakin. "And you?"

Anakin tightened his fists slightly. "I've been hoping the Republic would be putting an end to the spice trade for a long time. I'm more than ready to get into the field to make this happen. No matter where, or when. It's what the Jedi should be doing."

Valorum and Palpatine smiled. "Very enthusiastic. Forgive us - we haven't introduced ourselves. I am Senator Valorum, and this is Palpatine."

They offered their arms to shake. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service."

"Anakin Skywalker, also at your service." Valorum's grip was iron and steady. Palpatine's, a little more measured.

"Good to se the both of you. We must be off now."

The Senators continued on their way to the elevators, and soon were zooming down and out of the building. After briefly conferring with the staff, Obi-Wan and Anakin also moved into another lift, and were soon on their way back home.

"I didn't know you cared so much about the spice issue," Obi-Wan said. "Is there anyone that you personally know, who was affected?"

"No, there isn't. To me, it's just about how the world should be." Anakin looked to the side of the elevator, to the reflective metal paneling, letting flashes of images from the news play out on it. "There has been a great deal of injustice done in this country. It's our duty to set things right."

"I'm thinking, Anakin, it's time you met my teacher," Obi-Wan said.

"And who would that be?"

"Master Yoda."


End file.
